GLIMPSES OF THE FUTURE
A monthly digest of technologies, developments and trends that will shape our lives. (If you would prefer not to receive these digests, flip back 'NO THANKS' and you will be removed from the list).

Run Your Car On Pee Power

Researchers at Ohio University have worked out a way to efficiently extract hydrogen from urine. It could provide a cheap, renewable fuel source for vehicles and, finally, a good use for the most abundant waste on Earth.

The electrolytic system the researchers have developed is clever on a number of counts. It helps preserve ever-more precious supplies of fresh water while providing a means of cleaning up the effluent from sewage plants. The abundance of wee in the world makes large-scale production of hydrogen as fuel a more viable prospect. And, most importantly, it’s actually a lot easier and cheaper to extract hydrogen from pee than from water.

The hydrogen atoms in urea – the main constituent of urine – are less tightly bonded than those in water. So much less power is needed to break the molecule apart.

Artificial Nerve Cells In Development

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University in Sweden are well on the way to creating the first artificial nerve cell that can communicate specifically with nerve cells in the body using neurotransmitters.

The methods that are currently used to stimulate nerve signals in the nervous system are based on electrical stimulation. Examples of this are cochlear implants, which are surgically inserted into the cochlea in the inner ear, and electrodes that are used directly in the brain.

The Swedish scientists intend to continue with the development of a small unit that can be implanted into the body. It should be possible to program the unit so that the release of neurotransmitters takes place as often or as seldom as required in order to treat the individual patient. Research projects that are already under way are targeted towards patients with hearing disorders, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

Herbal 'Tea' Offers Hope For Diabetics

A tea made from the leaves of an indigenous African tree and bitter oranges is showing promise as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

The tea, prepared by boiling leaves from the Rauvolfia vomitoria tree — known as 'asofeyeje' in the West African Yoruba language — with fruit from the bitter orange tree, appears to regulate blood sugar levels, according to researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

For the Danish study, 23 patients with Type 2 diabetes drank 750 millilitres of asofeyeje tea every day while a control group drank a placebo. After four months, there was a reduction in blood sugar levels among asofeyeje tea drinkers.

Quantum Computing Comes One Step Closer

A team of researchers at Yale University has recently managed to create a rudimentary all-electronic quantum processor that can perform simple algorithms, in what many see as an important step towards making quantum computing a reality.

The processor can perform a few simple tasks, which have been demonstrated before with single nuclei, atoms and even photons, but this is the first time that such tasks have been performed in an all-electronic device that looks and feels much like a regular microprocessor.

What Smells Are Out There On The Internet?

Japanese telecommunications company NTT Com is currently seeking volunteers to test a pungent piece of new technology which produces different smells at the request of programs downloaded from the Internet.

There will be two separate trials of the i-Aroma conducted this summer. One course will send out smells matching 'the rhythm of daily life' while the other will release odours based on an ancient astrological system. Sadly though, only those living in Japan can take part.

The i-Aroma is loaded with 6 base oils and attached to a PC via USB cable. The volunteer connects the PC to the Internet and special courses designed by astrologist Ryuji Kagami or aroma therapist Kaoru Sasak will determine what scents are mixed by the device and released into the air.

New Robot Navigates 'Like A Human'

European researchers have developed a robot capable of moving autonomously using humanlike visual processing. The robot is helping the researchers at the University of Regensburg in Germany explore how the brain responds to its environment while the body is in motion. What they discover could lead to machines that are better able to navigate through cluttered environments.

The robot consists of a wheeled platform with a robotic 'head' that uses two cameras to capture stereoscopic vision. The robot can turn its head and shift its gaze up and down or sideways to gauge its surroundings, and can quickly measure its own speed relative to its environment.

Robot Submarines Will Protect Harbours And Shipping

British-based BAE Systems has launched a tiny, unmanned autonomous submarine designed to detect and deal with terrorist threats: the Talisman L weighs only 50kg, has a top speed of 5 knots, and can patrol at depths of up to 100 metres for up to 12 hours.

The Talisman L is very manoeuvrable - able to turn within its own length - and keeps on the alert with high definition sonars on the front and sides as well as a host of multi-view cameras.

Compact enough to be deployed from almost any vehicle, including rigid inflatable boats, the Talisman L can be controlled from either a remote console or integrated into the command ship’s combat management system. It can operate completely independently, using pre-set parameters, or an operator can assume manual control at any time.

'Noise-Free' Rubber For A Quieter Car Ride

A quieter, more enjoyable ride could be just around the corner with the development of a self-lubricated, low-friction rubber formulation that helps overcome noise caused by certain automotive applications.

Trelleborg Automotive, a provider of 'comfort solutions' to the automotive industry, has introduced Trelleborg Noise-Free Rubber that the company says overcomes noise issues associated with certain automotive applications.

The company claims the new rubber formulation delivers noise reductions and improved dynamic properties in suspension bushings, engine mounts and anti-roll bar isolators, while increasing durability by around 50 percent.

New Cancer Drug Is Effective And 'Has Few Side Effects'

A drug tailor-made to strike at a tumour cell's Achilles heel shrinks or stabilizes tumours in patients with certain treatment-resistant hereditary cancers (those with BRCA genetic links) while causing few side effects. The results of an early-stage trial were published recently by researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston

The drug, called olaparib, is the first success story from a new and highly personalized approach to anticancer drug development. This strategy harnesses a concept known as synthetic lethality, in which a drug is designed to work in tandem with the molecular glitch underlying a specific kind of cancer.

Celebrities looking for a way to combat pesky paparazzi will hope that a new 'anti-paparazzi device' makes the jump from concept to commercial availability. The concept is basically an LED flash built into a handbag that emits a photo ruining flash of its own when it detects the flash from a camera.

The device uses a photo cell that reads light to detect jumps in ambient light caused by camera flashes. Currently the photo cell can detect a flash being fired from up to a 45 degree angle each way. This is connected to a computer-programmable micro-controller, which controls three small LED lights that flash for 1/15th of a second and wash out the photograph.

UK Health Advisors Seek To Integrate Genomics Into The NHS

A report commissioned by the House of Lords' Science and Technology Committee has recommended that Britain set up a comprehensive plan to integrate genomics into its state-run National Health Service (NHS). If this were to happen Britain would take a world lead in genome-based medicine.

Perhaps most important in this 127-page report is a call to reclassify genome-wide association studies under European Union law from their current status of 'low risk' to 'medium risk,' which would trigger a more thorough investigation into each test's validity and usefulness. The report also calls for a voluntary code of practice for providers of direct-to-consumer testing companies that operate in the U.K., presumably including 23andMe, deCodeme, and Navigenics.

In essence the report calls for the use of DNA and genetic profiling to shape the delivery of medical care.

New Bluetooth Earpiece Looks Like Earring And Turns Into Finger Ring

An innovative new Bluetooth headset called the Orb transforms from a stylish piece of ear furniture to into a ring that can be worn on your finger.

The Orb transforms from a ring with a simple twist to become a Bluetooth headset capable of hands-free calling. Incorporating NXT technology the Orb provides high quality bone conduction audio without the discomfort of placing a device inside the ear. A Deluxe edition also features a Flexible Organic Light Emitting Device (FOLED) screen to display caller ID, calendar reminders, and voice-to-text information for communication without taking the ring off the finger.

www.rayhammond.com

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